Needle straightening clamp



Oct. 4, 1932.- PARKER 1,880,979

NEEDLE STRAIGHTENING CLAMP Filed Feb. 3.. 1930 lfiverwor';

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Patented Oct. 4, 1932 ALBERT E. PARKER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA NEEDLE STRAIGHTENI'NG CLAMP 1 7 Application filed FebruaryB, 1930. Serial at. 425,646.

My invention relates to needle straightening clamps for spring beard needles of the type used in full fashioned flat knitting ma- 7 chines. In full fashioned machines individ- 1 ual needles are used and a suflicient number of them are held parallel to each other in fixed position inthe needle bed. It is necessary at times during'the operation of the ma chine to replace one or more of these needles m in the needle bed, as they become damaged and unfit for further use, or to straighten them in case they become bent. When new needles are placed in the needlebed, it is necessary to see that they are perfectly straight and that 'the beards are properly aligned with the shanks, for it frequently happens that even new needles are not free from these defects.

' This operation-mustbe carried out on all "needles before placing them; in the needle bed in order to insure proper-alignment thereof, so that a perfect fabric will result from the knitting operation.

i It has been customary to inspect these neei 2 dles one by one by the knitter and to straight- 7 en the shanks. and align the beards by means of any suitable tool, such as pliers. Naturally considerable experience and skill is required to do this perfectly by hand, and in addition '30 a considerable amount of time is required.- It

7 is therefore an object of this invention to provide means whereby a' plurality of needles may be inspected and straightened at one I time; by means of which much less time is required; and bymeans of which a knitter having relativelylless experience and skill will be enabled to secure perfect results.

I Additional objectslan'dadvantages will be apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying drawing, which form part 1 of this specification and in which Figure l is a view of one face of the needle straightening clamp in upright position, embodying my invention. 1

' Figure 2 is a view of the other face, the clamp being in horizontal position. i

Figure 3 isv a section on line 3-3 of F igure 1.

Figure 4 isa section on line 4--4 of Fig-' ure 2.

Figure 5 is a view of the base member and beg member with the curved plate removed, an

Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of F ig- 5 ure 1.'

In the drawing the clamp is provided with the basemember 7 having the hollow tubu-' lar collar 8"bymeans of which the clamp is suitably supported. A spindle 9 is profvided, projecting from the machine bed or from any suitable support, having the fiat portions 10 and 11 as shown in Figures 3 and .4. These fiat portions are disposed vertically into the collar 8,. against said spindle 9,

preferably at one or the other of said flat i0 portions. 1 As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a bed 13,

preferably of brass, is provided on one sideof the base ,7. This bed 13 has parallel grooves 14 into which'the lower ends of the 7'5 shanks of the spring beard needles maybe placed,-as shown. The bed is also, provided with a horizontal series of holes 15, in line with the grooves 14, into which the turned over butt ends of the needle shanks-may be placed,as clearly shown. The size of the grooves 14 and the holes 15, depend upon. the gauge of the needles used, and may be madevto take care of any given gauge, or may be made ofsuch size as to take care of a certain range of gauges which differ but slightly fromeach other.

A curved plate 16 is provided to hold the needles in position in said bed 13 while they are being inspected.v The lower end 17 of 9.0

25 if f q 1,880,979

' the'plate 16 iscurved so as to space the upper end 19 properly in relation to the needles. The said lower end 17 takes into horizontal groove 18, formed'inbase 7, and the'plate 16 is held fast against said base and said needles by tightening a wing head bolt 20, which has" a collar taking against said plate. This bolt 20 passes through a hole 21 in base 7, and is threadedinto a hole in said plate 16.

I Operation,

A group ofneedles are placed with their butts in adjacent holes 15, and their shanks.

in adjacent grooves 14, the plate 16 then being fixed in position as explained, The

clamp isthen placed on spindle'9 in the'posi- V 7 tion of Figure 3,with the bolt 12 against fiat 10, which aids in ascertaining beards,"i. e.', from the right in Figure 3?,the

said'clamp, inspecting andadjusting said needles while in sald plane; rotating the clamp so as to change the .planeof said needles, and inspecting and adjusting said needles while in the second planar position there of, one of said planar positions being. generally vertical, and the otherbeing generally horizontal. r

In testimony whereof, I haye hereunto set my hand this 31st day of January, 1930.

the upright position. Then by looking at: said needles from the side' opposite the l I needles maybe quickly inspected, straight 1 mened and linedupbymeans of pliers- The location of a group of needles alongside. or 1 each other-makesxthe' straighteningprocess v much-easier and quicker than when a single needle is inspected by the hand method.

7. When this'is done, the-bolt 12 is loosened and turned to the position of Figure 4, the bolt then being tightened against flat 11. In this l I position the beards may be quickly and easily a inspected and lined npfiby means-of any suitable tool; At'this time the beards are-in l r position to be: openly viewed from; above. When the straightening or lining up is com pleted, the needles are removed froni the' clamp,and are ready for insertion into the :niachinefbed. 1

A Iamaware-that the invention may bodied in otherspecific forms without departing iroin'thespirit of essential'att'ributes-thereof,and1 therefore desir'e'the pres- I ent embodiments to be considered in all respectsiias illustrative and not restrictive,

reference being had to therappendedclaims fin'dicate the scope of the invention; a

V *I-clainrrather than to the foregoing description to' 'i '7 1. The method of straightening needles, 7 a i i which consistsin providingta clamp adapted to grip and to hold a plurality of needles in a coplanar position, said clamp being adapted alternately to be held in a fixedposition and to be rotated about an axis, at thewillof the operatorgand grippinga plurality of needles j in a coplanar position in saidclaxnpfiixfating I j said clalnp, inspecting and adjustin'gsaid needles while in said plane; rotating the dles while in the new plane clamp so a's to change the plane of said nee dles, and inspecting and adjusting said 'neeh 2. u The method of straightening needles,

which consists in-providingla clamp adapted to g'rip and to hold a plurality of needlesin a coplanarposition, said clampjbeing adapted i [ALBERT E. PARKER. g 

